


all your fireworks make the bridges burn

by misura



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Denial of Feelings, Evil Wins, Happy Ending, Hux Has No Chill, Multi, Not Canon Compliant - Star Wars: The Last Jedi, One-sided Kylo Ren/Rey, Prisoner of War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-05 23:28:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15873900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: By rights, it should have been the happiest day of his life. The First Order, victorious at last; the Resistance, crushed. The Supreme Leader, pleased. It just figured, didn't it, that Kylo Ren was in the process of ruining everything.(First Order Wins!AU, where Hux ends up with Rey as his very own personal prisoner, to his greatdiscomfortannoyance)





	all your fireworks make the bridges burn

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by a prompt for Polytrolley left by Rubynye, but with 150% less angst
> 
> rated for use of the f-word.

By rights, it should have been the happiest day of his life. The First Order, victorious at last; the Resistance, crushed. The Supreme Leader, pleased.

It just figured, didn't it, that Kylo Ren was in the process of ruining everything.

"The girl," Ren said, like he was a - like _she_ was - "I want her."

"Supreme Leader, I must object." The First Order did not keep prisoners of war as personal slaves. They were not barbarians, for fuck's sake. A quick, clean execution and a discrete disposal of the bodies, and that would be that. Hux could go back to mopping the last remainders of the Resistance and Kylo Ren, for all he cared, could go blow up some old ruins that had supposedly been a Jedi temple or something.

Hux didn't dare hope to never set eyes on Ren again, but he was cautiously optimistic in regards to his chances of not being forced to yield command of his ship to the maniac again.

Snoke stroked his chin. Snoke had once told Hux that Kylo Ren was a rabid cur with only a single use.

"You wish the girl for yourself, General Hux?"

_What?_ Ren's glare was delicious. Less so, the suggestion that he would wish to soil himself by - that he would lower himself to - "No. Of course not." Hux swallowed. "I merely - "

"A reward." Snoke smiled. "Yes. I believe that will do quite well."

Ren made a noise. Not an objection, naturally. Ren wouldn't dare.

"The girl will be moved to General Hux's quarters," Snoke decreed. "For now."

Overwhelming victory or not, Hux decided that there was no justice in the world. Even Ren's clear displeasure was only small comfort.

 

"What is happening? Where are you taking me?"

Hux's head hurt. He had tried to approach the matter rationally. The Supreme Leader had spoken, and the Supreme Leader's word was law. The Supreme Leader always knew best.

_The Supreme Leader has taken Kylo Ren as his student. To train as his successor, possibly._

"Hey, you! I asked you a question!"

Perhaps he could bunk with the stormtroopers for a while. Phasma would argue it was bad for morale, but really, what was the alternative? He'd hardly get any sleep otherwise, not with this female locked up in his room, asking annoying questions all the time.

Hux sighed. He supposed he might at least make an effort to shut her up. Nothing thus far had indicated any capacity for logical thought, but miracles did happen.

"Supreme Leader Snoke has decided to spare your life," he said.

Predictably, she looked neither grateful nor relieved. "Why?"

_Because he's an idiot._ Hux clenched his jaws. It was an unacceptable thought. Heretical. He felt dirty. _It's all Ren's fault._ Better. Much better. _Kylo Ren is obsessed with you._ All the more reason for Snoke to have done the sensible thing, Hux felt, but then, he was only a general. Not like he knew anything about strategy or tactics, was it?

"I'm waiting."

_Join the club._ Hux had thought Ren's usefulness would end, now that his mother's Resistance was no more. He'd rather looked forward to the Supreme Leader finally cutting Ren down to size.

"Supreme Leader Snoke has decided that you are to be confined in my quarters." Put like that, it sounded - well. _That_ would probably be all over the stormtrooper grapevine by the end of the day.

At least the girl was finally quiet. Struck speechless, staring at him in a way that made Hux want to squirm, like he was a raw cadet again and she his training officer or the like.

"You're disgusting."

_It wasn't my idea!_ Right. Like her opinion even mattered. "And you're Resistance scum," Hux said. "You might want to spend a few moments to reflect on your situation, instead of mouthing off."

"Do your worst. I dare you."

Hux considered shooting himself. Shooting Ren would be much more satisfactory, but of course, he'd have to do it from behind, which would take pretty much all of the fun out of it. Besides, the Supreme Leader wouldn't like it.

*

_Hux is a bully,_ Kylo told her. _You shouldn't let him intimidate you._

_I'm not intimidated by either of you,_ Rey thought. Hux and the stormtroopers had left. The first thing she'd done was go look for something to help get rid of her restraints.

_Good,_ Kylo said. _You shouldn't be. You're special._

Was he trying to make her feel better? _Not special enough._ Was anyone she knew even still alive? Was anyone going to come for her, as Finn had, before? _Who's left?_

_It doesn't matter,_ Kylo said. _They won't save you. Why should they? You're nothing to them._ A beat. _You're not nothing to me._

"If that's true, then why don't you come and get these off of me?" Rey asked out loud, holding up her wrists. "If I'm so special to you, why don't you do that for me?"

_You only needed to ask._ Kylo sounded smug, pleased. _See? I'm on your side, Rey._

"Sure you are. Killing all my friends - that's you being on my side, is it?" Her hands were free, though. That was something.

_Your friends were traitors, thieves and murderers,_ Kylo said. _Don't worry. The traitor still lives. That pilot. I don't know about my mother._

Rey closed her eyes. "Liar."

_It's not a lie. Why should I lie? She's nothing to me. The past._

"Who are you talking to?"

Rey opened her eyes. _You couldn't have warned me?_ How much would Hux know about the Force, anyway? He had to know _something_. "Nobody." Her mouth felt dry. "Myself."

Hux grimaced. She couldn't tell if he believed her. "Rather a low opinion of yourself, haven't you. Though far be it from me to disagree."

"Right." He didn't know. He couldn't know. "Resistance scum, wasn't it?"

"I only came by to get some things," Hux said, then frowned. "How did you get out of those restraints?"

"They ... came off? All by themselves? Maybe you need to have them checked. I think they might be defective." Had that sounded convincing? Too helpful?

Hux accepted the opened restraints and muttered something under his breath.

"Well. I'll get out of your way now, shall I?" Rey said.

Amazingly, that worked. _Did you do that?_ Nothing. If it had been Kylo, he'd have been bragging about it by now. _Ben?_

"Are you feeling all right?" Hux asked. She might have almost believed his concern was genuine.

"Fine!" Rey said. "Couldn't be better! Thanks for asking! Have a nice day, blowing up planets and stuff! Bye!"

*

If looks could kill, all of Hux's problems might have been solved by spending more than five seconds in the same room as Ren. They'd never been friendly, of course, but Ren's current animosity was ridiculous. _And for what? The girl?_

Hux worried about her. It was a matter of pride, he told himself. The Supreme Leader had entrusted her to his custody. It would reflect very poorly on him if anything happened to her.

He'd considered several solutions over the past six weeks before deciding on a course of action.

"That one." He pointed. Two stormtroopers opened the cell and dragged out its inhabitant.

_The things I do for the glory of the First Order._

"Sir. She's scheduled for execution two days from now," one of the stormtroopers - FN-6843 said. He sounded hesitant about it, which was bad. Hux made a mental note to report the man to Phasma, to take care of that streak of insecurity.

"Obviously, I am countermanding that order," Hux said. He hoped his tone made it clear how very much not in the mood for more backtalk he was.

At least their salutes were acceptable.

 

"I'm not afraid," said the girl.

Hux realized that he didn't know her name. "I don't care," he said.

"Am I going to die?" She was wearing some sort of necklace - a memento, no doubt, of someone as foolish as herself, long since dead and gone.

This was why the stormtrooper program had been started, to prevent people from raising their children to make the same mistakes they'd made themselves. To ensure the next generation would be better.

"Indubitably," Hux said. A criminal waste, really. What kind of chance had she ever had? People like her were the reason the First Order had to win, why Hux himself could not, would not rest until the very last member of the Resistance had been found and killed, so that their poison would spread no further.

"I meant, right now?" she said. "I'm Rose, by the way."

_I don't care,_ he almost said again, even though he knew it wasn't her fault. At least she seemed properly aware of the gravity of her situation. "I need you to take care of a friend of yours," he said.

"Why? So you can torture her some more? That's sick."

Hux took a deep breath. _Ren, I swear I am going to kill you for this._ "The First Order does not torture prisoners." Enhanced interrogation was an option, true, but - "There's nothing you know that we would want to know, anyway. Not anymore. Luke Skywalker is dead. Your fleet has been destroyed. The Resistance is done."

"I don't like you," Rose said.

"Thank you. The feeling is entirely mutual," Hux said. A bit on the chubby side, and soft-hearted to boot: what was there to like? And that didn't even take into account the fact that she was with the Resistance.

*

"Rose? Rose!" It felt good to hug someone, to hold someone warm and alive.

Hux glared. Hux was predictable and a jerk and Rey wished she dared look into his mind to find out everything that had happened, everything he knew about Finn and the Resistance.

"See? No torture implements whatsoever," Hux said.

Rose turned her head to look at him. "All right, I'm sorry I didn't believe you. My apologies."

"Accepted," Hux said. His expression was very strange. He had probably only brought Rose to show her that Rey was unharmed. _Why?_

"I want her to stay with me," Rey said, at the same time Hux said, "She'll be staying here with you."

_What's going on? What's his game?_

She swallowed. "If you want to send someone to negotiate, she'd be a good choice. She's a friend of Finn's."

Hux flushed. No chance of negotiations, then. It was hard to imagine what the Resistance would be willing to offer the First Order, anyway. "The First Order does not negotiate with terrorists."

"All right. Thanks for clearing that up. You can go now," Rey said.

"Yeah," Rose said. "Thanks. I guess." She hugged Rey again, while Hux beat a hasty retreat, as if hugs made him uncomfortable. Perhaps they did.

Rey couldn't imagine anyone voluntarily hugging someone like Hux.

*

_Have I just gotten dismissed from my own quarters?_ What had he been supposed to do though: stay? _They're prisoners. I shouldn't let them talk to me like that._ He should go back in there. Go back in there and - _what?_

_What is Supreme Leader Snoke thinking? Is this a test?_ He knew Ren had faced several tests, one of which had ended in Han Solo's death. A fine blow struck for the First Order - or it would have been, had Solo been anything other than a has-been, a tired old man with a tired old rustbucket of a ship. Hux had read the file and wondered why a woman like Leia Organa would choose to marry such a good-for-nothing. He'd have expected her to have better taste.

"General Hux."

_Great._ "Ren," he said, making sure to sneer.

"The girl," Ren said.

"You'll have to be more specific. I have many girls," Hux said. What was the grapevine making of _that_ , he wondered. Something rather sordid, no doubt. His reputation would be in tatters by now.

"Rey," Ren said. "Give her to me. She's nothing to you. You don't even want her."

"I'm afraid that you will have to take that up with the Supreme Leader," Hux said.

Ren scoffed. "Give her to me," he repeated. "One night."

"One - " Hux felt like spitting. "No." _Go fuck yourself, Ren. It's what you should be used to by now._

"General. You don't want me for an enemy," Ren said.

_In fact, I'd love to have you for an enemy. It's just my bad luck that we're on the same side._

"I have nothing to say to you," Hux said. Turning around and walking away felt ... wrong. As if he was fleeing, which wasn't what he was doing at all.

He realized his hands were trembling. Nothing to do with Ren, obviously. _It's just my bad luck that we're on the same side,_ he'd thought, but that wasn't true, was it? He wasn't like Rose.

He'd been raised by loving, caring parents who'd taught him how to think for himself. He had always had a choice. He'd joined the First Order because he'd wanted to, because he'd chosen to. Because the galaxy needed order and justice for all, not chaos and disorder.

If Supreme Leader Snoke chose to put his faith in someone like Ren to carry out his vision, then maybe -

"Are you all right?"

_Damn it._ He'd stumbled into his quarters, feeling sick. Forgetting, for a moment, that his quarters weren't his quarters anymore, that they'd been taken over by two prisoners, foisted on him by the Supreme Leader and Kylo Ren.

"Fine," he whispered. His head felt about ready to split. "Get away from me. Resistance trash."

"I'll go get you a glass of water," Rey said. "Rose, you keep an eye on him."

Hux decided he should have taken the opportunity to shoot himself when he'd had the chance.

*

"You asked what?" Rey nearly dropped the glass.

_I thought -_ Kylo paused. _I thought that if we could meet face to face, I might help you escape._

"I'm not leaving without Rose." _Or you._ Well, maybe she'd leave without Kylo. Not like his life was in danger here, was it? If he wanted to come, he'd be welcome, but that was it.

She wondered why Hux had refused the request. He'd behaved strangely from the beginning, really - nothing at all like what she'd expected. Not that she felt she owed him anything for not ... taking advantage or some such thing, but it made her wonder what else she might have been wrong about.

Finn had been a stormtrooper, and he was a good guy. How many others were there, a little less brave, or a little less lucky to have escaped successfully? _How many of them has Hux ordered executed or, excuse me, 'sent back for re-education' without a second thought? The man is a monster._

Of course, she'd thought the same thing about Kylo Ren once.

_Has he hurt you? If he has hurt you, I will kill him,_ Kylo said.

_Tell me more about this escape plan of yours,_ Rey replied.

"You look really pale," Rose told Hux. "Are you sure you're getting enough sleep?"

"I'm fine," Hux snapped. He made no movement to get up from where he'd slumped down on the floor, though. "I'm naturally pale."

"Uh-huh," Rose said.

_He's right. He is,_ Kylo said. _Why are you so concerned about him, anyway? He's nothing. A monster. You said so yourself just now. Your precious friends? He'd order them killed without a second thought. That's the kind of man he is._

_Shut up._ The glass was unbreakable. There was nothing in Hux's quarters that might be used as a weapon. The only clothes he seemed to keep there were uniforms, and as far as disguises went, a general's uniform left something to be desired when it came to moving about inconspicuously.

Hux himself was armed, though. Right here, right now, he was weakened, vulnerable. If she - if _they_ were going to do this, it had to be now. They might never get another chance.

_Don't,_ Kylo said. _Rey. Don't do this. It's a mistake._

"You'd say that, wouldn't you?"

_I need you._

Hux barely blinked an eye as Rey knelt by his side and pulled his blaster from its holster. She checked to make sure it was fully charged. Rose stared at her, wide-eyed, and then gave her a nod. A smile.

_We can do this. We're going to do this. And if you're not with us, then you can stay right here and rot._

"Please," Hux said. "Take me with you."

*

Insanity agreed with him. It was exciting, even exhilarating, to try and escape from his own damn ship.

"FN-0598 and FN-1771. We should take them with us."

"Does this look like a pleasure cruise to you?" Rey asked, putting his blaster to better and more intensive use than it had seen during all the years he'd owned it. "Do I look like a tour guide?"

"You look great," Hux said. "Incidentally, you just shot a Resistance sympathizer. Congratulations."

Rey looked horrified, which was a bit of overreaction. Rose scowled at him.

"What?" Hux said. "She was. Re-educated three times. Phasma despaired of ever making something out of her. Well. I suppose she can sleep easy now. Shot in the line of duty. Every stormtrooper's dream."

"Really," Rey said. There was a glint in her eye again.

"So are we just going to steal a ship?" Rose asked. "Which one?"

Rey pointed at a TIE-fighter. As far as Hux could tell, she'd picked it at random. _The trouble with the Resistance and its tactics in a nutshell. No order. No grand vision._ He'd have to do something about that, once he took over.

"If I might make a suggestion," he said.

*

"General Organa."

"General Hux."

Rose put her hand in Rey's and squeezed it by way of saying , _We made this happen._ Rey smiled at her, and then at Finn, who was still beaming after his meeting with three more ex-stormtroopers, and lastly, to be fair, at Hux, who looked at her as if she didn't exist.

Well. They both knew better, didn't they?

"It's not every day someone comes and brings me a dreadnought," Leia said. "Quite a story there, I expect." The first thing she'd asked Rey once they were alone was, _Can I trust him?_ and Rey had told her, _Yes, more or less_.

Hux's smile was very thin. "All rather dull, I'm afraid. Why don't we talk first about what you're going to give me in exchange for putting it at your disposal?"

Leia arched an eyebrow, then smiled. "Why don't we do that?"

 

"You think she'll put him in charge?" Rose asked. Rose had a big heart.

"He doesn't deserve it," Rey said. "He should be punished for what he's done."

Rose sighed. "I suppose you're right. He's a pretty bad guy, huh?"

_He knew all of the stormtroopers who were like Finn and didn't have them executed. He murdered entire planets. He didn't hurt either of us when we were his prisoners. He only helped us escape because we threatened him._

"He's complicated," she said.

Rose snorted. "Show me one person who isn't."

_Look in the mirror._ "You like him."

Rose shrugged. "He kind of saved my life. Twice. It happens. I'll get over it. I mean - " She blushed.

_Your life wouldn't have been in danger in the first place if it hadn't been for him._ 'Complicated' was the right word. _If not Hux, it would have been someone else._ Would Kylo Ren have saved Rose? _She'd have been nothing to him._ She'd been nothing to Hux, too, probably. Maybe.

"Come on." Rey got up and held out her hand. "Let's go see him."

*

" _Like_ me?" Hux was appalled. Hux had just gone ten rounds with General Organa, and considered himself lucky not to have been dragged into an eleventh.

He thought he'd talked her out of demoting him to private, but he couldn't be entirely sure. His arguments that she had no legal authority whatsoever to demote or promote anyone hadn't seemed to impress her very much.

Rey lifted her head. "We both do."

Hux tried to think. "Stockholm syndrome?" he offered, a little desperately. But honestly, what did people _say_ to that sort of thing?

Rose blew a raspberry at him. Rey rolled her eyes.

"You know, you could use some friends in this place," Rey said. "You should thank us."

Hux swallowed. Allies, yes. He did suppose those might be useful. Friends, allies - more or less the same thing, wasn't it? "I suppose you have a point," he said. "Very well. Is there anything you can tell me about - "

Rose kissed him. Hux should have left her to be executed. It would have made his life much easier - except that then he'd have had nobody to keep Rey company, to keep her from talking herself into doing something stupid, like trying to escape.

_Right. That plan turned out well. Truly, I must be a strategic genius._

"What I meant to say was - "

Rey kissed him. Hux imagined Ren's face if he ever found out. Hux would probably have to tell him - not that Ren would believe him, of course. Hux barely believed it himself.

"We'll do that again after you've won your first victory for the Resistance," Rey said.

Hux stared at her.

"And I might take my shirt off," Rose said. "If you're nice."

Hux decided it might be a good idea to start drinking. The First Order frowned on such things, but supposedly, the Resistance was full of drunkards and delinquents. One of them had to be willing to share a bottle with an old enemy who'd probably killed some of their friends.

Also, he'd have to be very, very convincing tomorrow morning.

As a private, how would he ever be able to claim a single victory?


End file.
